Tunneling-machine.



o. s. PRoc'ToR. TUNNBLING nom. APPLIDATION FILED FEB. 2B, 1907.

Patented Oct. 13,1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2;

JWM/@m g #agg 55. 3y

O. S. PROCTOR.

' TUNNELINGMACHJNE. APPLICATION ruim r1:1a.a,19o7.

Patented 0613. 13, 1908.

4 sums-sum 4.

' y Np. 900,950.

UmTED STATESA PATENT OFFTOE.

OLIN s. rRoCToR, .or DENVER, COLORADO, AssiGNOR, BY nesNE ASSIGNMENTS, To THR TERRY, 'rRNoH a, PROOTOR TUNNELING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION oF NEW YORK.

TUNNELING-MACHINE.

, drilling engines .are arrange in rows that ex,-

tend from the central portion of the cutter head to its yperipheral ortion, and in such a co rative relation w en in operation as tovpro uce a circular tunnel. Second, to provide an automatic tunnelingand muck discharging machine. And third, to provide a simple, practical, multiple drilling 'engine rotary tunneling machine that will automatically' collect theY rock muck at the breast of,

the tunnel and convey it to and discharge it from the rear end ofthe machine. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a side elevation, partly in section, of the improved .tunneling machine.. Fig. 3, is a.

Fig. 2, is a plan view thereof. Y front elevatlon of the cutter head and the c lindrical casing which incloses the same.

ig. 4, is a central, horizontal sectional view loi the cutter head, on theline 4-4 ofFig. 3,

showing. a portion ofthe sup orting frame and of the belt conveyer, whic receives and discharges the muck. Fig.- 5, is a vertical, sectional view; on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig.`6, is'a similar view on .the line 6-#6 of4 Fig. '1. Fig. 7,' is a vertical, sectional view through the cutter head, at right angles to the section shown in Fig. '4. And Fig. 8, is a sectionalview through one of the arms of the cutter head, showing' the hammer istons andtheir cylinders, the drills, and the ranch ports connecting the several cylinders, with a.

main supply port.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 15, designates the main su porting frame of my tunneling machine. his supporting frame consists of a beam of' metal preferably steel, the under side of the front end of which is provided with an axle 15",` which is secured to it by a box 15C, which is bolted or other- Jsecured to the under side of the frame. U n the opposite ends of this axle I mount Wggels 15", which support the forward end Specification of Letters Patent." Application l'ed February 26, 1907. Serial No. 359,533.

,and at equal distances from it.

Patented Oct.` 13, 1908.

of the beam frame. The opposite end of the frame 15, is supported by a jointed connection to a supplementary fra e 17, which is mounted on track wheels 17 that are secured to the opposite ends of axles 17B that are secured by boxes to the underside of the frame 17.

The jointed connection between the main frame 15 and the supplementary frame 17 is adapted to permit a vertical and lateral adjustment of the main sup orting frame above and below and to either t e right or left hand side of the central horizontal plane of the track wheel supporting axles of the main and -The aperture 2() is "positioned `in horizontal alinement with the center of the main supporting frame, and the a ertures 19 and 21 are placed above and be ow it respectively adapted to fit in these apertures, and is shown in the aperture 20. Thisv pin is provided with a head portion 22A, to which a strap 22I3 is secured by bolts 22C. The head. of the pin is bolted to a cross bar 25, on the front end of the supplementary frame 17, by the strap 22B and bolts 22. The inner end of the in 22 is secured to the apertures by a verticali pin 24, which passes through it close to theinside surface of the rear side of the loo When the pin 22 is in the aperture 20 of t e loop, and at the salne'time in the center of the Width of the cross bar of the supplementary frame, the main frame stands in a horizontal plane, and will bore a straight tunnel, but if it is desired to bore a tunnel with an upward grade the pin is moved to the upper aperture 19 of the loop, which will lower the rear end of the main frame and ineline its front end upward; and if the pin 22 is placed in the aperture 2.1.it will raise the rearend of the -main frame and lower its front end. The mainA frame can be moved in either direction, relatively to the position of the frame 17, by loosening the strap 22C, on the cross bar, and sliding the pin on the. said bar to oneside or the other as desired, which movement will cause the forward end of .the main frame to point to either the right or left of the horizontal center of the gage of the center of its track wheels.

A pin22 is While I have illustrated but one pin aper- I ture in the loop above the horizontal posi? tion of the pin and main frame, my invention contemplates enough to give to 'the machine any practical, range of different grades of tunnel inclination. The main supporting frame of my machine is provided with a pair of raised journal boxes14, positioned one at the front or cutter head end of the frame and the other adjacent. to its rear end, in which a tubular shaft 13 is rotatably journaled.

The rear end of this tubular shaft is provided with a hose coupling 47, that is adapted to couple to one end of a hose or pipef46, the opposite end of which leads to a supply of compressed air or other suitable drilling engine actuating fluid. To the front or opposite end of this tubular shaft I secure a cutter head 12.. This cutter head comprises a hub portion 12A, which is mounted on and secured -to the end of the tubular shaft by any suitable means, and a pluralit of arms 12B, which project from the hu in tangential planes. I preferably illustrate four of these arms arranged at four quarter points of the hub,l although more may be usedif desired. Eacharm is provided with kan actuating fluid port 41, ,which connects with.v the tubular vshaft 13 through the hub 12^, and this port extends throughout the length of the arm to near its outer end. Each arm of the cutter head is provided with aplurality of rock drilling engines, arranged in a tangential row in thecenter of theface edge of each arm. These rock drillin engines consist of a row of cylinder bores a ong the lfront edge of the len th of each arm from close to the center of i and at a short radial distance to `one side of cylinder are bored also at outward divergingit, and in a tangential line ,from the center' radial position of the inner cylinder to close to the end of each arm, and the drilling vengine cylinder at the center of the length of.

4each arm is preferably bored parallelftoA the axis of the hub and shaft 13, while those drilling engine cylinders toward the outer end of each. arm from this centralcylinder are bored on an' outward diverging angle from the axial center of this central cylinder,

and those toward the hub from this central angles to the center of 'this central cylinder,

vbut the l incline towards the axial center of the hu y and pipe 13.,v These cylindrical bores comprise a bore 40 and a bore 40^ and a bore 40". The bore40` separates th e bore 40, which is the entrance bore, from, the bore 40.

i, An operative hammer piston 43, is'reciprocally mounted inthe bores 40 and/10, andv a' port42'ex'tends from the cylindrical bore 4() to the port`41. A chuck 11 is fitted iii-the entrance bore 40, and a rock cutting drill -bit or moil 10 is inserted in each chuck inthe reciprocative path of the hammer piston ,of

e hub portion of the cutter head each cylinder, and thea rock cutting drills or i moils at the outer ends of the arms are arranged to stand with their cylinders at an outward angle of about 45 degrees to the center of the cutter head and they are extended far enough' from the arms to cut a tunnel of Venough larger diameter than the cutter head to allow it and its muck catching cylinder 29, which I will presently describe, to be easily operated Within said tunnel.

My invention contemplates the us'e of any type of operative rock drilling engine attached to or formed in the arms of the cutter head.

The,cutter head is rotated by a motor 26, which is mounted on the frame 15, and is connected by circuit wires 15^ to a supplfof electric currJit Apinion 51 is mounte on the motor, which meshes with a gear wheel 52, which is mounted on and secured to one end of a shaft 52A, that is journaled in suitable boxes .52B, which are secured to the frame 15. Aworm pinion 52c is mounted onand secured to the shaft 52^, which meshes with a worm wheel`28 that is mounted on and secured to the tubular shaft 13. The -cutter head is surrounded by a cylinder or casing 29, which I term the muck catching cylinder. This muckcylinder is attached to the frame 15 by braces 30 and 30^. This muck .catching c linder has a closed rearhead portion, in whic a muck dischar 'ng aperture 32 is formed at one side, an horizontal center of the cylinder.

a trifle above the f This muck o c linder is also provided with a man hole 39,

c osed by a door 39-^, which is arranged and adapted to permit an operator to through the cylinder to the cutter head. he-

ass'

muck or rock cuttin s made by the rock cutting drill-bits or moi s at the breast of'altunfl nel naturally drop and work into the inside of the bottom of the muck cylinder, and are re` moved therefrom by a plurality ofbuckets 31, one of each of which is secured tothe side ofl each arm that faces the direction of rotation of the cutter head arms. These muck buckets comprise substantially V-shaped -metal troughs that are secured to the sides of the arms to stand close to the insidey surface ofthe cylinder at a rearward downward angle that will allor the muck to run out of and discharge readily from them when they register withn and directly op osite to the discharge aperture in the rearliead of the cylinder. These buckets. are preferably made of sheet steel., the outer edges of which are cut to conform to the cylinder 29 when laid on the winger arm of the cutter head 12. The rear edges ofthe Scrapers 31 are straight lto conform to the innei` Wall of the rear disk-like portion of the shield 29: The endsl of the scrapers'lf, ward, thel center of the-wheel, are turned to prevent the muck slidin down into' the center of the cutter head, an cause it to l ass i 130 backward through the openingI32,-.Whic is .theinner wall of the' cylindrical' portion of located in lthe iupper left-hand-r quadrant of the cylinder 29,. and .fin the plane ofmotionof the sc'ra ers 31.- vTheopenings 32 are provided Wlth a lip or short chute 325I to drop the muck Wel1=onto"the conveyer 33. The scrapers 31vare'attached tothe wheel 12 by countersunk caps, and 'these Scrapers are also arranged to dip up the muck from the inside bottom portion o der, and raise the muck-asthe cutter-head is rotated `and.. discharge itl through the discharge aperture? 32 of f the muck cylinder, from which it falls onto the endless traveling conveyer belt` 33,' which 'is arranged at the side of the frames and 17 inalinement with the discharge aperture 32 of the muck cylinder, and by which' it is conveyed :to .the rear of the tunneling machine, and from Which itcan be deposited in the cars. This feature of my inventionmay comprise any suitable operative endless conveyer adapted for carryingrock muck; but I preferably use a conveyer arranged in the following manner: The conve er 33 may be of anysuitable type ofthe end ess belt conveyers in use, one 'end of which is vmounted on a drum 33A that is r'otatablv4 journaled on a shaft 33", which is mounte `on -a bracket 33C, that is secured to and extends laterally from the frame 15. The opposite end is-moufnted., on a drum 33?, which 1s secured to a shaft 33E, that is-jour naled in boxes 33, thatlare formed on-the end of an extension bracket 3 7, that is formed on the rear end of the supplementary supporting frame 17. The-convever 33 1s driven byof-la. sprocket chain 35, Which is mounted on sprocket wheels` 35A and 35.a that are secured to vthe motor and shaft respectively.

My improved tunneling 'machine is oper atedon railway tracks 50, which arelaid on cross ties 51, placed on the floor of the tunnel. Itis necessary that some means be provided to follow the cutter head up to and feed it a ainstthe breast of tunnels, and I preferout this feature of my invention a ly car in the fellliwing manner:

I lay a cog or toothed rail r52 lon the ties, in which-a gear. wheel 53` meshes. This gear wheel is secured to one of `the axles ofthe trackv wheels of the frame 17. This-gear Wheel is driven b a worm wheel 54 that is mounted-onthe riving shaft 55 ofsa motor 38, which is mounted on the supplementary truckframe 17'. This metorris operatively connected-by. circuit wires :to ay supply. of electric currents. l

' The operationfof improved tunneling .machine is as follows: The motoris arranged and adapted to move the tunneling machine forward orfl backward Y, on the cog track` and rails toward .and against the rock 4 in acutting relation thereto, oraw-a -fromlthe breasteof the tunnel. Compresse airorany-othersutable actuating flnid is `supplied to the hose or the muck catching cyln- 33, by which itfis carried to the rear e the motor 34 through the medium.

pipe46 and tubularshaft J 3 and flows ,through the ports 41and 42 to the .cylindersd and hammer pistons 10 and the hammer pistons are operatively arranged lin these cylindrical bores to lstrike the rock cutting drill-bits or Inoils. The machine is-then fedv bv the motoragainst the breastofthe tunnel, and the,` cutter head 12 is rotatedthrough the me-` dium-of the motor 26 and thegearing con-` necting this motor 26 with the shaft 13, and

the rock-cuttingdrill bits'or moils are driven byl the rapid reciprocalstrokes of the hammer-pistons against the rock breast, and'as the cutter head rotates, the said drill bits cut and chip :away the'rock, which falls to the bottom-of the-tunnel directly into the muck catching cylinder, or is shoveled intoits lowerv front edge by the forward feeding movement-of the machine, and is dip ed up by the muckbucketsor Scrapers as-t ey rotate with the cutter head, and is discharged from the muck cylinder through its discharge aperture 32,', as the buckets pass this aperture, 'onto the endless traveling conve elf' the machine, from which it dro intotcars,

which Ido. not illustrate, but w ichare run A,

into the tunnel onthe track and positioned4 atthe endof the truck frame 17 in position" l to receive it from the end .of vthe conv eyers My tunnelinmachine is adapted not only to drill tunnels utzto automatically discharge the muck from the cutter head as it isformed,

thus' Pfmitting thefmuhine to be fed rn" idly andcontinucusly forwardin the rock breasts as Ifast as its rock .drilling engines will cut into it.

While I have illustrated the preferredlconef struction and arr ement of my t machine, I do not Wish to. be limited to it, as

parting-from thespirit of myl invention.

Patent, is: ,l

l. In a rotary tunneling machine, the com- 'lois` many` changes might be made without de-" bination of a supporting frame, a tubular i shaft revolubly mountedonsaid frame, arotary cutter head securedto one-end of said tubular shaft, agplnralitv of operativen-oel: drilli enginesarrange to cutv the' breast ine area o a circular. tunnel, said cutter head Y i havi said tub dar shaft an cutter head,me|ms orconnecting the a. motor for rotati suitable drilling engine actuatinga muckcatching cylinder on said supporti ports leading :from said tubular shaft f v to sai rock drillirg ergines, means inclu Q o tu." v

-site end of said tubular shaft to asutpply of* n'iountcd'on ,one end 'of said frame,compris hub, a row of operative rockf` drilling engines 5` arranged in the-face edge','of-each of said -arms at various predeterminedangles to the axisof said cutter head, said cutter head hav- ,inlg-a plurality of ports' leadin yfrom said hub portion of said cutterv hea throu h said v necting said. orts to a suppl of compressed (fair, -means ,means for feeding said cutter rhead and sup- .15 of a tunnel, a muck catching cylinder secured to said/supporting frame and surrounding =said cutter head, and a conveyer arranged to convey themuck Afrom said cutter head and cylinder 'to the opposite end of'said supporting frame from said cut-ter head. 3. Ina rotary tunneling machine, the com'- b'ination of a wheeled sup orting frame, a -tu'nnel track f or said'whee ed frame, a cog ailon said track, means including ainotor operated pinion geared to said cog track for 'moving said frame in a tunnel along said track, a rotary cutter head mounted on said frame, means including amotor for rotating f said cutter head, a/ .$0 rock drilling engines 1n said cutter ea'd arranged atsuch angles of inclination to'the 'longitudinal'laxis of said cutter `head' and frame as will adapt them to cut out the breast area of a circular tunnell of larger diameter than said cutter head, 'a muck catching'cylinder su ported by said frame and,

surroundin sai cutter head, and provided with a discarg chute, a conveyor mounted on said frame 1n muck receiving relation to 40 said cylinder-s discharge chute, and-adapted to convey the,` rock muck l'rom said cutter 'head' and cylinder to the opposite end of said frame" from .said cutter head, and muck l I s crapers onl said cutter" head arran ed to vlili scrape the muck in said cylinder into lts dis- -"i'charge chute.

4.1' Ina rotary tunneling machine, the combination of a supporting frame, means vin' cludi a motor for'feeding said frame to and 'from t e breast offa' tunnel, a rotary cutter head ovided with y,a "QfIiollovv axial shaft rotatab mounted on saidsup-porting'frame'-fa plurality of'o'perative pneumatic rock drille y itgegin said cutter head' to drill and out yaway the -breast yarea of a circular tunnel ofV larger diameter than saidacutter head, a'

'muck catching-cylinder onsaid frame sur- "x'ohndin'gf theperiphery of said cutter head 30 andprovidedwitha muck discharging aper- A ture, a plurality of -muck buckets securedyto said cutter head in ositions to scrape up and discharge saidmuc 'through said dischargel [L aperture, and an endless belt conveyer' arop said frame to receive the muck from arms to said drilling engines, means or conf orl :rotating sa d cutter head,l

porting frame to operatively drill vthe breastlurality of olperativeV rotating' the cutter head, and means for pro- 'nes land drill bits operatively `ar' .ondoso said bucketsard discharge' aperture and convey it to and ischarge it from t`lie opposite ends of said 'supporting frame from said cutter head.

5. In' a tunneling machine, the combina- 7g tion 'of a two-part wheeled supporting frame, an adjustable joint arranged toconnect the. two parts'- in such a'rnanner that one part is adjustable at different angles of inclination tothe other parti, .an operative cutter head 7 attached to the free end ofithe adjustable part of said frame, a plurality of rock drilling engines operatively supported by said cutter head to drill the breast area of a circular tunnel, lmeans including an' endless conveyer so belt for conveying themuck from said cut-v terhead-tothe rear end of said frame, means rfor rotating said cutter head, and means for feeding said frame andcutterlhead to oper@ tively drill .the breast of a-,rock tunnel.- 35

6L. -In a' tunneling machine, a cutter head .provided Awith a plurality of-drilling engines,

end a Wheel frame having a laterallvad'ust-V able pin upon its forward end, which is' a apted to-be secured Within anyone of a plurality of holes 'arranged one above the other in said coupler., a casing surrounding the cutter head, having a discharge opening, a conveyerjadjacent to said opening, and means for operating the same, buckets on lthe cutter head iin the path'lof the opening, meansfor l -pellin the rear frame.

- 7. n a tunneling machine, a cutter head comprising a hub and a plurality of arms arranged tangentially to the hub, each arm bein provided with a plurality of air receiving cy inde-rs, communicatingby separate ports Wlth a common source of alr under pressure,

lhammer pistonsin'said cylindersv and drill bits in line With said pistons, a two-partV Wheel'frame for su portmg said cutter head, an adjustable coupllmg device for uniting'the parts Aof the frame,means for rotating the cutter head, and meansv for propelling the two-part Wheel frame.

V8. Ind a tunneling machin'e, a -rotatable 120 (plurality of power driven moils Y head?, a. y said hea disposed at an angleto the axis ofV the head a carriagelfor'supporting the head;v

means for giving a vertica or a lateral adjustment to the rear end of the carria e; 1'25 means for propelling the carriage', means or rotating' the headyand means for removing the muck, as the carriage advances.

9. In a tunneling Vmachine, a rotatable head;'a plurality of groups of power driven 130` i moils in said head,'disposed at an angle towardthe direction of rotation of the head', the moilsl of each group radiating from a common point; a carriage for su ing the means for adj ustiulgl the rear end of the carnage vertically and orizontall means for propelling the carriage; means or rotatin'g the head; and means connected with the machine'for removing the muck as the car,

' advances.

0. In a tunneling machine', the combina- I tionwith n, carriage, having a rotatable,

power driven cutter head mounted thereon,l

"and a y'power driven car; of'means for connect' the ca'rwith the carriage'so esto admit o a'lateral and vertical adustment of the rear end of thecae relatively 50 the car; and means conn n with the carriage for automatically 're mi f muck as' the machine advances. v

11. In aLtunneling machine, the combina- .tion' with a carriage; a rotatable power driven cutter head mounted -on the carriage; ar wel' driven car connected to the carriage; and means connected with the cutter head for collecting anddischarging muck throu -its rear end as the machine advances;` o a 'chute secured to the carriage in the pt'h 0f the discharging'muek; an endless conveyer supported at one end-upon thecar, vand at the other-end upon'thecarriage lso as to l 1e beneath the chute; and means for'lop'eratmg the conveyer.

4 I2. A rotary tunneling'machine comp Aing alrevoluble cutter head, provided with a plurality of groups of rock chipli'gg machines, the machines ofeach group 1 arranged at divergingangles from each ot er'.

13.A ,A rotary tunneling .a machine, .comprising a revoluble cutter head, provided .with a plurality of groups of rock GhPPing ma' chines, the machines of each group vbein arranged at diverging angles from each ot er,

the machines of eachgroup lbeing positioned to rotate in circular lpaths between those in which the machines of the 'preceding group 'move. 14. rotary-1211111191111 machlne, comprising a rotary cutter hsad a lurality dressing machines mount@ 0n Sald Cutter head; a muck catching hood surrounding said cutter head; a cpluralityof muck Scrapers on within said hood; a discharge' said cutter hea `aperture in said hood registering With Umd m'uck scrapers; a 'supportin .beam on which said cutter head is .revolub y mounted, ar-

rgpged to support said muck catching hood;-

Qg ibptment car for said cutter headV and its gu tuig beam; a vertical-ly and horizontail ad'ustable connection between said car 'an sai 'cutter head beam; means connected to the rear of -in prcsenceof two witnesses. ml"

- AOLINv S. PROCTOR.

`Vif'tussses:

Laon. SICK,

Jos. D. Wnr'rusnu.

of rock* 

